Efforts Made
by Hectic Method
Summary: It all started with the great divide-when wizards and humans separated completely. Or did they? When abducted and forced to work at King Malistaire's castle, a young girl discovers her unique fighting ability. T for language.


**A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfiction, so please be gentle. I know it is sort of confusing, but it will make sense eventually-I think.**

**Oh yeah! These things [O(o)O] [/(-)\] indicate which POV I am writing in. I couldn't just write it out like a normal person ^^'**

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**Chapter 1: Abnormal Abduction**

O(o)O

The walk to school was rather uneventful. While I did manage to almost trip over a fallen acorn, I didn't, so all was well and at peace in the world. The chilled winter breeze had been collected in a bucket and poured on me, and only me, as far as I was concerned. It was really freaking cold.

As soon as I stepped onto the sidewalk of the school's property, two human-sized missiles rocketed into me. Tavia and Malone, twin sisters, greeted me this way every morning. They were all bundled up and snug in their luxurious puffy winter coats and jeans. I bet they felt so smug right now, just looking at me freezing my ass off. I almost couldn't tell them apart since their hoods covered the usually wild and colorful hair. I'm such a bad friend.

"How goes it, my bestest friend in the whole world?" Tavia screamed in my face. I winced at the slight ringing sensation in my ears and grinned at her.

"It goes well, Tavia. How was y'all's morning?" I asked meekly. Since I was so tired this morning, I had no energy to scream back at her and correct her incorrect grammar again.

"Ours was good. You're not energetic this morning." Malone released a melodramatic sigh. "I suppose I can't give you this-" she pulled out an over-sized bag of candy from seemingly nowhere. "-bag of assorted gourmet sweets."

"Gourmet my ass. That's bullshit."

"Then I guess I'll just have to share it with dear little Tavia here." Malone smiled, making slow deliberate movements which implied Tavia's impending bountiful inheritance.

"Now, now. Let's not be hasty." I ripped the bag from Tavia's fingertips and assured them of my need for sugary nutrition. "

We basically messed around until first block started, and eventually made our way to each of our classes. However, I was a bit slow in pace.

"Miss Rhayne, I do believe you are late." She said, eyeing the many blue streaks in my presently dyed white hair. "And you _still_ haven't washed the appalling dye out, yet. Nor have you reconsidered your fashion."

"I am indeed late." I smiled, ignoring her last comment. This school was whacked—teachers being allowed to call me distasteful and whatnot. Plopping down in the seat at the back nearest to the AC unit and window, I ceremoniously shoved my bag inside the miniscule tray attached to the desk. I personally like wearing graphic t-shirts and jeans. It's not like we actually had to wear a uniform.

My peers' eyes followed me as I dropped my heavy binder onto the small table and immediately set to doodling. A couple of snickers were directed at me, but most at the teacher for her persistent use of my time.

"And Miss Rayne, would you solve this?" She pointed to a problem, motioning for me to solve the complicated algebraic equation on the board.

"I'll pass." I replied, briefly glancing up at her before returning to my previous activity. "But thank you."

"Miss Rhayne, you will be solving this," She was beside my seat in a minute, tearing the sheet of notebook paper from its family and shredding it with merciless hands. "And pay attention. I hope you've learned your lesson." I laughed outright at her.

"That was a bit uncalled for. I have an art project to finish, mind you." Chuckles followed my nonchalant joke.

"Please refrain from being disrespectful." She sighed.

"Whatever you say, boss lady." I replied jubilantly. When first and second blocks were over, I rushed out of the classroom, giving quick yet insincere apologies to whomever I offended or shoved out of the way. Ardor had been building up since the beginning of English Literature.

The lunch room was a buzzing mess of a hive. Long gray lunch tables were arranged in two rows, with one vertical column slicing them in half. The table we usually sat at had been forced on us at the beginning of the year. Everyone who belonged on the outskirts of society was forced to associate with each other through the sheer power of bottom-of-the-social-ladder etiquette, which was, at best, basic and minimal. Mostly everyone was in a clump of two or three.

The loner who usually sat nearest to us, Isaiah, usually spent his days staring out the window for a prolonged period of time. I only occasionally saw him eating, and usually it was just an apple or a cup of water.

The guy had a good academic reputation, but he was known to skip sports activities. People assumed that he was a skinny nonathletic kid, but if you studied him with more than the naked eye, every move he made was calculated. Not a single second was wasted by the rate he lived.

As we sat down, I noticed his violet gaze following my figure. I smiled at him, trying to hide my confusion with a broad grin. His expression grew sour and he turned away. Dismissing my dismissal, I chuckled at something Malone said.

"So, CJ," Tavia needled. "My sources tell me that you had a little student's spat with the teacher in first block." Tavia's 'sources' were Malone. And as the entire gossip mill knows, Malone is always right.

"So what if I did?" I hedged, wearing the Joker's sneer.

"Ooh, someone's a bad girl!" Malone joked, poking me the ribs. I yelped as I instinctively curled into Tavia, who was on my left. Tavia poked me in turn, and their constant left- right pattern tired me as I laughed into oblivion. I wished that they didn't know my sensitive points.

I lightly patted both of their cheeks, disorienting them long enough to sprint into the lunch line ahead of them. It filled up fast enough for me to get away from them for a while.

At the end, I payed the Register Lady (as I'd dubbed her) and claimed the seat farthest from the trash can, but the putrid smell still managed to waft over to me. Sighing, I dug into my less-than-nutritional meal.

Alone time is thinking time. That's why I don't like alone time. Alright, let's cognate a lovely image here: I am standing on a pile of dead people, and then I put them in the garbage bin. Then I sit at the table where no olfactory offense assaults me. Then I enjoy my greasy and unpleasant lunch without the need to puke.

As the table filled with outcasts, I managed to clear my head of such fantastic illusions. Malone and Tavia, both pouting, decided to join me on either side, both increasingly aware of my wish for a better lunch break experience.

"Come on, it's not so bad." Tavia teased, rubbing light circles on my back. Malone shoved food in her mouth. Considering the type of food they eat at home, you'd think they had higher standards, but nope.

Isaiah, ignoring the clamor, got up and left the lunchroom entirely. "What's picking his butt?" Malone pouted, mouth still full of food.

"Chew with your mouth closed!" I reminded her, smacking the back of her head. "By the way, how did your music lessons go, ladies?" Nudging them both with my elbow I saw as their faces darkened in unison.

"Awful," they replied simultaneously. Piano tortured Malone to the point of depression. Flute murdered Tavia, and vice versa. "You don't even know the kind of genius I am." Malone added, a creepy note crawling into her voice.

"The kind that destroys pianos and dances on their graves?" I mocked.

In all seriousness, she answered, "Exactly." A small silence followed on cat's feet.

Suddenly a hand was pulling at my elbow. I almost fell off of the bench because of the unexpectedness. The shadow that pulled me wasted no time. He dragged me across the entire lunchroom. "Ah, Isaiah?" He didn't respond. "Please tell me why you're hauling ass- mine, especially- out of the lunchroom, where all of our loving friends are?" Well, actually, _he_didn't really have any friends, and you barely had two.

"Rhayne." he said. Whoa, getting a little familiar.

"You called?" or rather, dragged me out.

"There are two creepsters outside the window."

"Okay...and?" I failed to see the point in this conversation.

"They're watching you like pedos." It took me a second to process this.

What the actual fuck?

"That's not creepy." I jested sarcastically.

"Seriously, watch for them."

"Thanks bro." he winced.

"Don't mention it. Seriously." With that, he strolled down the halls. After staring at his retreating figure like a dumbass, I returned to my friends, but not before checking.

They were actually there. Shit. They didn't even duck their heads. They continued our strange little staring contest unashamedly. What made it worse is that they were in some strange get-up. It wasn't cosplay, either.

"So. Did you get a confession finally, my little canary?" Tavia asked.

"No. But I obtained some disturbing information. I have two followers in my fan club." Malone raised her eyebrows.

"And one of those is Isaiah...?"

"No. Those two dipshits over there." I jerked my thumb in the direction of the strange people. Tavia whistled in amazement.

"I've never seen such blatant idiots." she admitted.

"Look in the mirror." Malone laughed. "And CJ, my girl, please be pleasantly surprised, instead of freaked out. Take this as a nice compliment." she noogied me, messing my straight hair into a cyan and white monstrosity.

"Should I take it as a compliment when they kidnap me?"

"Who knows, you might become the Queen of an ancient underground kingdom with how they're dressed!" Tavia smiled. I quirked an eyebrow at her before disregarding their further comments on the strangers.

By the end of the day, I was thoroughly paranoid. Walking out of the front doors, I bid Tavia and Malone farewell as they drove away in their fancy Porsche. Walking home, I remembered that I had to drop by the convenience store. As I proceeded to the end of the aisle where the refrigerators were, I felt not two, but three gazes on my back. _Don't turn around, don't turn around. Whatever you do, don't turn around. Don't let them get the best of you! _Careful to keep my composure, I carried the leaden milk jug to the counter.

Shoving the matter of the dilemma at hand aside, I counted what was left in my wallet. Only $25.62 remained. The Uncle should hit me up soon, or the landlord would bite me. Having lived with my Uncle since I was five years old, my lifestyle was something that I had grown accustomed to. He wasn't a bad man, but the guy was hardly around. He rented me an apartment and payed me monthly._ Maybe I should get a part-time job._ I snorted at this. _Who would want to hire a punk?_

However, the three bodies watching and actively following me made no move as I exited the convenience store and marched home. They seemed to bear no ill intention.

The long, drawn-out silence as the chilly air surrounded me was wrong. It was too still; this was the calm before the storm. However uneventful my journey home had been, something was to happen soon.

When the door to my apartment door was opened by someone other than me, I dropped my groceries. Oh my god. The poor milk. No, priorities! Isaiah stepped out of _my_ living space. "Oh, Rhayne. Nice to see you alive." What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"That's the best way to say hello." I replied, trying not to sound perplexed, if shocked.

"Indeed. By the way, are those guys still following you?" Alright, this loner who never glanced at me twice, had now openly conversed with me twice in one day as if this was normal? Not to mention he just came out of my apartment.

"One addition to the party." growled a voice behind me. Twirling like a ballerina, I saw one of the bizarre guys in armor. Where were his buddies?

_Besieged on all sides!_

"Well, I've decided that I should kindly butt out of your business, gentlemen. My work is elsewhere." In a moment of sheer genius panic, I ducked behind Isaiah and tried the door. It had somehow closed and locked itself.

Isaiah stood in front of me, looking somewhat strong. And only somewhat, let me assure you I was not reassured by his presence at all. _I'm sorry my poor milk jug, but I must abandon you. Au revoir, ma cherie!_ I dug in my pocket for the familiar cool length of my key, but it seemed mysteriously absent.

"Urgh! Um, Isaiah, small problem!" I tapped his shoulder.

"Now isn't really the time."

"Except now really is the time." I whispered. "I forgot my key."

"It wouldn't be much help anyway. He would've just smashed the door." he whispered back exasperatedly. How was I supposed to know this shit? Just fucking great.

"Alright, we're gonna run to the back stairwell. His armor will slow him down, but he will catch the attention of residents like that. How to go about this?"

"I feel left out!" the guy roared.

"We would like to include you in our heartfelt discussion as soon as you swear not to lay your sweaty manpaws on us." I replied shakily. This was a very strange conversation. And to think I was going to relax tonight.

"How about I do?" The corners of his lips stretched to his ears in a creepy and unnatural way. Isaiah was cursing up a storm and biting his lip like it was candy.

Fangs were beginning to show under the freak's upper lips and his eyes were glowing an eerie yellow. I was surprised that the neighbors weren't out to confront us yet. Isaiah's mutterings grew more and more urgent.

Don't tell me this giant fucking beast was a vampire. Oh hell no, I am not getting involved in this shit. Isaiah finally finished on his little drama king tirade, and a shuddering wave of heat boomed through the air before a giant flaming tree seemed to sprout from underneath the floor. The people on the stories under me would have a couple of complaints. The hell was going on?

Isaiah grabbed my hand and dragged me to the back stairwell. I didn't even see his feet hit one stair, he just sort of jumped down all of the flights. I know for sure I didn't touch the ground until we reached the ground level, and even then I felt light on my feet. Before I knew it, we were out of the building.

"What's going to happen to the building?" I asked, trying to imagine what the charge would be.

"What do you mean?"

"You just grew a big-ass-flaming tree from the ground floor all the way up to the third floor."

"It'll only slow him down temporarily! Fire elves are only second-tier!"

"That's not what I'm talking about! What if the building goes down?" He paused for a moment thoughtful.

"Oh, right. Things can catch fire here...shit." He concentrated for a couple of seconds, muttering more mumbo-jumbo under his breath. Suddenly, a downpour fell over the apartment complex. _Only_ the apartment complex.

"Now could you tell me exactly what is going on?" I half-yelled, irate.

"Could we speak of this at a later date? We have things to do." he yanked me by my wrist. "The draconian could be out any moment, and the other two should also be arriving shortly."

A sudden screech emitted from the boy signaled to me that the other two had arrived much more shortly than he had imagined.

And then there they were. Three humanoid red dragons wearing wide smirks and deep green frocks.

"Dammit! I'm out of mana!" the boy yelled in frustration.

"Just summon another little elf thing!" I screeched as the 'draconians' came closer.

"I _can't_!" he hissed. Well, this was not good.

This was definitely not good.

One of them came at me, swiping his gleaming claws at my face. I barely sidestepped the sudden attack. The boy I had barely associated with until today stepped in front of me. He brandished a long, spiraled white stick at the creatures menacingly, but they had found us at a weak point in time. All three of them tried to attack us at the same time, but I couldn't let them-

I rushed forward, and, with all my might, kicked the first one. A rush of heat and adrenalin pumped through my body, making me frenzied in my following defenses. Ignoring the spikes of pain drilling through my body, I continued to punch, kick, and dodge. Finally, as I knew my body was tiring, one of my punches sent a fresh wave of energy out, and the draconian was knocked back with blue and golden sparks trailing after him.

Isaiah stood there, dumbfounded by my sudden ability. However, he recovered from his shock faster than the other two spectators, and took the chance to sprint past me, knocking into them with a full-force shoulder blow. Well, it was my first time in a street fight. I think I did pretty good. However, I had heard that hitting with your shoulder was bad. Before the last draconian came to attack, I glanced back at the apartment building. Somehow, the giant tree was gone and the fires were out.

Even if I had just taken down one draconian, both of us were battered and bruised, and the armored draconians were at a clear advantage.

"Isaiah!" He didn't respond, just kept going at it with the hulking enemy. "Isaiah!" His head snapped to me. Big mistake. Just as he turned, the beast rammed his fist into his stomach, and he flew back in a blur of rain and confusion.

I looked around until I saw a head of chocolate hair. Running towards his landing spot, I examined him for injuries.

"Rhayne?! Why are you here? Why am I here? Why do I hurt so much?"

"What? You must've hit your head! C'mon, get up, we need to get out of here!"

"What's going on?" I felt a small hand on my shoulder. A small boy, who looked to only be about five, stared back at me.

"We need to get out of here. I'll tell you everything later, but you have to follow me!" Feeling lightly suspicious, I hauled the clueless Isaiah onto my shoulder and we ran away from the monsters as fast as we could. Once we had reached an alley in which we were sure of our safety, I glanced down at the little boy.

"Please explain this situation to me, in clear and vivid detail." I panted in between breaths. Isaiah was out cold slumped against a wall.

"My name is Wolf Ghostblade. Um, this is awkward, but I was in that guys body before." He indicated Isaiah. "I'm a wizard who was assigned to retrieve you and bring you back to Wizard City by the honorable Headmaster himself." he puffed with pride at this. "But I couldn't go to Earth in my raw form, so I entered that guy's body earlier today, and began to wait for the right moment. But those draconian bastards are still following me to see if they can beat me to you." The little boy was saying that kind of word already.

"Aren't you a little young to speak like that?" I asked, worried. Though this was obviously the wrong time.

"I may look like this now, but trust me. I'm a handsome devil in my real form."

"Oo-kay then." I replied dubiously. "Continue."

"So then I found out you were on Earth, so I had to go into his body to avoid any possible danger to my body. Even then, I found that I could only cast low- level spells. I sort of hate your planet-"

"Alright, alright. That's enough. So what do we do now?" His eyebrows folded over his bright grass green eyes at my interruption.

"Well, supposedly, I'm supposed to open a portal to Wizard City, but I'm out of mana." he shook his midnight hair.

"How long until the dragon-things catch up?"

"We're about out of time. Now that they've shifted, their senses are heightened, and they have wings."

"Well, what do we have here?" jeered a serpentine voice. Well, this was fan-fucking-tastic timing. We were cornered, too. Of all place, an alley was our hiding place. Quickened by what I guess was weary anger, two stepped forward to grab me. I thrashed about wildly until one tapped my head.

I was swimming in a sea of blackness. I wasn't unconscious- just really, really tired. And a nauseous feeling enveloped my being, making me feel wobbly and unresponsive. My body wouldn't listen to what I had to say. I was sinking. Sinking into the blackness.

_"Oh, so it's my fault that it's gone? How am I connected to the disappearance of such a thing?' shouted a masculine voice. Oh, so this was one of those dreams._

_"Well, what reason would I have to steal my own family's property?" snapped a high- pitched, feminine voice._

_"Maybe the fact that you fucking hate your family?" the man retorted._

_"This and that are two completely separate matters!" _

_"As if! Who else would know your family's oh-so-secret combination to the vault?"_

_"You, of course, seeing as you are in my father's study as often as you are in the bathroom, which I must say is quite often!" A small girl stares through the cracks. She spots a bulging suitcase under the bed. Walking on silent feet, she pulls it out. It's underneath Mommy's side of the bed, so the girl doesn't have to walk that far. At the sight of her beloved daughter betraying her, the angry mother shoves the little girl aside, picks up the suitcase, and makes a dash towards the front door, even though she's barely dressed and has no shoes on. The man looks at you in disgust before chasing his madwoman of a wife.  
_

_Later that night, her Daddy came clambering back into the house. He smelled funny, in the bad way. He stumbled over his words and as he entered her room, he screamed, "I hate you! You ruined my life, you little shit!" and in the morning, the little girl climbed onto the counter and called her Uncle, like she had been taught to when bad things happened._

I woke in a cold shock on a red tiled floor.

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**A/N: Hello again! For those of you who read it a couple of days ago, you can see that it underwent heavy editing...really heavy...**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and as usual reviews are welcome. Please advise me!**

**~HECTICMETHOD**


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